I installed the primer bulb, but no joy. It wasn’t sucking gas. I pulled things apart enough to see the fuel line had become brittle and a piece of it was broken off inside the gas tank. The whole thing appeared to be iffy, and I honestly didn’t want to spend any of my frustrations messing with it. I need those frustrations for other things.

So I decided to put that saw into a place where they did that sort of thing, let them do it. Never put a chainsaw in a shop before, but it’s the experience I’m after this lifetime. I ain’t in this for the money.

I could tell right away I was imposing on her, but I explained about my saw and she handed me a piece of paper for me to write it down, which I considered prudent. She handed me a tag with a number on it. “Be sure you put your phone number on there. I’ll call you when it’s ready.”

I couldn’t remember my phone number, so I wrote down what might, but probably wasn’t Gale’s number.

“How long you reckon it’s going to be? I only get into town every couple of weeks. I’ll just swing by and check.”

“I’m a hard man to get on the phone. I’ll just call or stop by next time I’m in town.”

“No. I’ll call you when it’s ready.”

This friendly lady was Lisa, according to the business card. Mark and Lisa, it said. Double M Equipment Service. Lisa.

Three weeks later I stopped in, asked about it and Lisa advised me it wasn’t ready yet, but she’d call when it was. “Eh?” My hand behind my ear. “I’m sort of hard of hearing. Can’t hear the phone ring.”

Two weeks later I stopped by again. This time it wasn’t ready, but it was next on the list, friendly Lisa explained. Next week it wasn’t ready again, she didn’t know why.

Heck, maybe I’m getting the time passage mixed up. It went in around April 17. At least that’s when I mentioned it on the blog post.

Anyway, after X number of trips by there and X number of weeks without a chainsaw, I stopped in and friendly Lisa said it was ready. $65 US. Called Mark from the back and he brought it up. “I replaced that gas cap for you so you don’t have to take it off with a wrench anymore.”

The cap’s slotted so’s a screwdriver can be fitted in perpendicular for taking it off. Never had a problem with it. Guess Mark never noticed that feature.

Anyway, I got the saw home, found it still doesn’t prime, but if a person pulls the recoil starter long enough mostly it will eventually start. Runs a few minutes, long enough to cut down a cedar as thick as your bicep before it runs dry of gas. At which time a person does the whole process again.

What I wanted to tell you about in this post is that when I was picking up that chainsaw I asked Lisa whether there was a good cafe anywhere nearby. She told me about a good hamburger joint just beyond the crossroads in Center Point.

8 responses to “Quid Pro Quo Chainsaw-wise”

Having had so many bad burgers, I’d say something middling good is an advantage these days. And given my bad luck with chainsaws, I’m now looking for one of those one-man crosscut timber saws. I’ve used one before and I still have what it takes, just can’t afford a new one.

I came close to wrecking my right arm abusing those two cycle machines. Vibrations and all that, doc called it some kind of tendonitis. These days it takes a pretty gnarly hedge to get me picking up a two cycle trimmer. I just use hedge clippers. I do kinda miss the chainsaw though. Its an occasional use thing, so I think my arm would forgive me.

LCTC!: I don’t have another month and $65 I care to waste pursuing it. I’ll figure out a workaround. This post is what I look like when I’m putting things out there for the Universe and search engines to take care of without me having to dwll on it. Gracias, J

Hi John: Thanks for the visit. My best guess is there’s a leak in the vacuum between the fuel tank and the carb somewhere. The prmer bulb springs back empty when compressed. Doesn’t appear to be carrying any fuel. Gracias, J